Weapon
by AriTheDoggo
Summary: "I'm a weapon," Link replied simply. That was all he really was, all he was worth... and it was all he ever would be. {} Pre-BoTW/Before (The Rewrite, because the old one SUCKS) (Rated for violence, possibly an exaggeration, but I don't want to risk it)
1. Weapon

**Warning: This story is based on _Before (The Rewrite)_, which is basically pre-BoTW novelized with new events of my own creation. There may be SLIGHT spoilers for my story (unless you've read up to the most recent chapter, cause then you're probably fine), but I'll try to keep them as vague as possible. You don't have to read _Before (The Rewrite)_ to read this story, but some events might make more sense if you do. HOWEVER... f I turn this into more than a one shot (I've got a whole story planned out, see author's note for details), there MIGHT be more spoilers. Maybe.**

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**Edited 8/15/19**

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_**Part I: Weapon**_

Despite the field being so vast and green, the bright, clear sky so large and blue, Link had never felt so trapped in his entire life. It was as if he was an animal in the cage of a lab, just waiting for the pains and agonies of the experiments to fall upon him.

"Hey, kid, hurry up, will ya?" one of the older knights, Sir Hendrick, growled at him from his mount. "We have to be halfway to Tabantha by sunset. This isn't fun and games, you know - this is an important investigation."

Link nodded silently, his head bowed low as he coaxed Epona into catching up.

"I still can't believe they let that kid become a knight," he heard up ahead - Sir Oren, if he recalled correctly. The man spoke quietly, probably thinking that the young knight couldn't hear him. Unfortunately for him (whether it was Sir Oren or Link himself, he wasn't entirely sure), Link's training with the Sheikah had honed his senses to the point he could hear a needle dropped from two halls down.

"He's supposed to be a prodigy swordsman," another replied, Sir Zago, and though he was even quieter than Sir Oren, Link heard him clear as day. "The cap' sings praises about him all the time."

"Yeah, yeah," Sir Oren mumbled. "But to knight someone so young… what was the captain thinking?"

Link bowed his head shamefully. _I didn't ask for this_. Well… he _had_ run from home to become a squire, yes. It had been for the safety of his friends and family - he was dangerous. Being _around_ him was dangerous.

Just thinking about it brought memories, every image flashing through his head giving him an unmistakable urge to vomit. So he shoved them away as quickly as he could.

Yes, he had made a run for it. He had wanted to get away from his loved ones to keep them safe. There were other advantages of it as well - this way, he could follow in his father's footsteps, and he knew that this was somewhere he could finally be of use for once.

But… after less than a year of training, the captain had deemed him worthy of knightship for reasons that were completely beyond him. The captain of the Royal Guard, Captain Arduum, who was so very strict and stern, but…

Memories came to mind of the captain as he had seen him nearly eight years before. At Zora's Domain, the man had kept watch over him during his father's negotiations with the Zora Guard. He had smiled so kindly, and he clearly wanted nothing more than for Link to be the best he could possibly be. He had corrected the boy's technique and taught him with a gentle patience befitting a loving uncle.

He hoped the captain didn't remember him. Link had his suspicions, yes, but the captain made no real sign that he actually knew who Link was - no, Link thought, correcting himself quickly. Who I used to be. The past ought to stay in the past, and in the nightmares that chased his sanity in circles.

Right now, he was Sir Link Equitem - youngest to be knighted in known history, at the meager age of twelve years old.

"Trouble ahead," Sir Hendrick murmured from the front as they came over a hill. In perfect synchronization, the knights drew their swords, Link quickly echoing their actions.

"A lynel?" Sir Oren breathed. Link heard a trace of fear in the man's voice, but decided not to point it out.

"Looks like it's also accompanied by…" Sir Hendrick paused, pulling a spy glass from his saddle bag. "Looks like ten bokoblins - roughly half are mounted."

Sir Zago growled something incoherently. "We're outnumbered. And they've spotted us."

This reaction brought Link some confusion. They were bokoblins - he'd dealt with them hundreds of times on the road. If you did it right, you could take them out before they even realized you were there. But if the more experienced knights were worried… they knew better than he did. He was just a kid.

Link shuffled around to retrieve his bow from his saddle bag. It would help if he shot down a few of them before he reached the actual battlefield. After that-

"Hey, kid, what do ya think you're doing?" Sir Oren called to him.

That was right. He wasn't alone.

"I…" he hesitated. "I thought I could take out a few before they reach us." He gestured to his bow.

Sir Hendrick gave him a strange look. "You think you can make a shot from here?"

Link nodded.

"I thought you were a sword specialist," the leading knight voiced, sounding a bit confused.

Link nodded again.

Sir Oren threw his hands towards the monsters, shooting Sir Hendrick a glare. "We don't really have time for this. There's just a few more moments before they're upon us. Only an archer could make a good enough shot - we should just charge them."

"But then the lynel would crush us before we could get near the little guys," Sir Zago said.

_A distraction is what we need_, Link thought. _Send one or two of us after the lynel and draw it away_. Of course, he wasn't about to say that to his superiors - they wouldn't care for his opinion. They knew better, and he was foolish to think otherwise.

"No time to ask questions," Sir Hendrick said, a bit of exasperation in his voice. "We'll have to just go after them - improvise."

"Yes, Sir," Sir Oren and Sir Zago chimed in unison.

Sir Hendrick launched his steed into motion, heading to meet the monsters head on. Sir Oren and Sir Zago followed.

Link nudged Epona into a gallop, circling around his companions and the place he estimated they would clash with the bokoblins. Knocking an arrow, he pulled back the string, drawing in a deep breath. Aiming for the fast moving targets, he released an arrow.

Moments later, a bokoblin fell from its mount, the arrow striking straight through its skull. He repeated the motion, bringing down three more bokoblins before his fellow knights even met the monsters in battle. The bokoblins, stupid and confused, were searching desperately for the one who was bringing them down from a distance. This left them distracted, giving Link's superiors an easy victory.

Link drew another arrow from his saddle bag. The lynel was heading towards the battle with a terrifying fury that befit the Calamity itself, but Link did not fear, immediately forming a plan in his mind.

He had no choice but to drag the lynel away from the main battle. The knights were too busy dealing with the bokoblins, and wouldn't be able to defend themselves from the beast's attacks.

He steered Epona towards the lynel, aiming an arrow towards its white, black striped hide. He pulled it back as far as he could - the lynel had to feel it, or this wouldn't work. If he needed to, he would just replace the bow's string later.

The arrow whistled through the air, before landing with a sharp crack in between the lynel's ribs. The beast roared furiously, quickly pivoting to see who dared to challenge it.

Link quickly reviewed everything he knew about lynels. _They're clever and fierce - easily some of the strongest monsters. They usually use physical attacks, but they also have-_

A great fireball flew towards him, and Link quickly urge Epona out of the way. It was a narrow dodge, but a dodge nonetheless.

_It doesn't have any weapons… looks like it relies solely on its fire and brute strength_. That would definitely simplify things.

Link aimed another arrow, this time releasing it towards the lynel's leg. He was once again treated to a cry of rage, the lynel turning once more towards him with fire in its black eyes. It opened its mouth wide, as if yawning, but Link knew better. He could see the flames building up in its throat.

He quickly lined up the arrow with the lynel's exposed airway. It was a risky move - a moment too late, and the fire would burn it to ashes. A moment too soon, and the lynel would have time to react and cut off its attack. That, and he was also directly in the range of its fire.

The shot ended up being a success, the arrow lodging itself in the lynel's throat. The beast released a strangled, gurgling cry.

Link aimed another arrow towards its eye. The arrow entered the monster's eye with a sickening squelch, and as the beast collapsed to the ground with a faint growl, he knew the shot had successfully entered the beast's brain.

He steered Epona towards the main battlefield to see if the others needed any help. They all looked fine - it looked like their fight had ended quite a bit before his, what with the way they were off of their horses, seemingly waiting.

Sir Zago was leaning heavily on his horse, while Sir Hendrick patched what looked like a wound on his leg. Sir Oren, who stood nearby, was looking at Link with an odd expression.

"I thought you said you were a swordsman?" Sir Oren asked, repeating Sir Hendrick's statement from earlier.

Link nodded.

"But…" he looked between Link and something behind him, back and forth. Link turned to see what it was.

The lynel? But…? It was just laying there, dead, just as it was a few moments earlier. What had Sir Oren looking so spooked? Had he seen a ghost?

"What are you?" Sir Oren blurted out, effectively bringing Link's attention back to him.

Link wasn't completely sure how to respond. He was a Hylian, right? A mere village boy turned knight. He was an orphan and a runt, one who had run from the closest thing he had to home. He was a coward and a fool. But… he supposed there was only one real answer to Sir Oren's question.

"I'm a weapon," Link replied simply. That was all he was, all he was really worth... and it was all he ever would be.

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**Howdy, y'all (what on earth did I just write?!)! So... _Before (The Rewrite)_ readers might be mad at me for posting this random one shot today when I didn't post a new chapter on Monday, and for that, I apologize. I'm procrastinating, it's a problem, yada yada yada. BUT... this story is pretty much pre-Before. It's a lot shorter than the other pre-Before story I've got planned, even if I do end up putting the rest of the story into writing.**

**"What do you mean, 'even if you do end up putting the rest of the story into writing'?" Basically, this oneshot could stay a oneshot... BUT, if people want to see more to this pre-Before world, I do have a short multi-chapter story planned. Maybe three to four chapters long, I don't know. But if I did that, I would probably change my _Before (The Rewrite)_ schedule to every other week until further notice (which I'm already probably going to do, because my family fears I've become a vampire and I should probably get outside more... and I need to enjoy the last bit of my summer (because SCHOOL STARTS AGAIN IN A COUPLE WEEKS, I HATE MY LIFE, AHHHHHH) and I can't do that if I'm constantly worrying about updating every week).**

**Quick warning, though - the ending of this story, if continued, is rather dark and makes me want to go cry. The rest of this story, if it people do end up wanting it, is slightly inspired by an anime, but I ain't telling anyone which one, because if you knew said anime, the moment the main characters of the next leg of the story are introduced, you'll probably end up knowing what was going to happen.**

**OOF, too many words. REVIEW! I love reviews! Criticism is welcome - just make sure you give a reason for hating my writing, okay? This oneshot/first chapter was vomited up in about twenty minutes, and I haven't looked over it a ton... so yeah. It'd be great to have criticism. I haven't written fight scenes in awhile... so I'm not sure if this one is any good.**

**THAT'S ALL, FOLKS. Let me know if the idea of making this a longer story, because I'm willing so long as it's something people will actually care for.**

**Sincerely (probably),**

**Ari~**


	2. Knight

_**Guest: **_**I'm on it! Thank you :3**

_**Part 2: Knight**_

Tabantha Village was a smaller village in the northeast, but it was renowned for its local celebrity - Doctor Yorin. According to the report, the Sheikah Scientist had been collaborating with Doctor Purah and Doctor Robbie from the east. He was one of the key researchers on Sheikah Technology, and a very good one at that.

Link frowned as he tried to recall the details of the report. If he remembered correctly, there had been rumors that someone was spying on Doctor Yorin - intercepting letters, spying on conversations with messengers, the like - and passing information on Sheikah Technology to a group that worshipped the Calamity. Link could only hope that didn't mean what he thought it meant.

Impa, who had been transferred to the castle after her mentor's passing, had recommended Link for the job. He supposed it made sense - he knew more about… _that_ group than most. Signs that they had been nearby, the way they marked corpses, how they fought, how they moved, and even how to identify one in disguise. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

Link sped up his gait to catch up with the other knights. They had left their horses down at the stable, leaving themselves to walk the rest of the way. Link, who was... _vertically challenged_ already, combined with being substantially younger than the other knights (who were all at least in their mid-twenties), was finding it difficult to keep up while maintaining a somewhat knightly posture and keep up at the same time. And it wasn't as if he was about to ask his companions to slow down - that would be proving he wasn't worthy of his position. Whether he wanted the position or not, he wouldn't let the captain down.

They entered the village, immediately getting weird looks (how often was it that a team of knights visited a small village in the east? If Link had to guess, it was rare). Link was used to that, being the youngest knight in recorded history, and easily ignored it. Instead, he took to observing his surroundings.

Tabantha Village was cold, the chill air nipping at Link's face. Knight armor was warm, the layers of underclothes insulating and leaving the other knights unfazed, but Link was too small for a suit of armor. Even if they managed to make him one, they'd constantly have to make him a new set (he was still growing, whether his old squire "friends" believed it or not). He preferred not wearing one anyway - armor was too big and clunky, slowing him down and limiting his movements. There was no way in heck could he backflip or anything of the like if he was covered in steel from head to toe.

But because of this, he was definitely a lot colder than the others. His tunic and chainmail did hardly anything to keep him warm. His undershirt was thinner too, and he could feel the cold metal links through the cloth. His cloak, however, was thick enough to keep the cold somewhat tolerable.

Link glanced around at the buildings. They were all smaller, more modest constructions, but they were all unique and homey looking - nothing like the uniform buildings of Castle Town. It reminded him of how home had looked during the winter, bringing back memories.

_Not home anymore,_ Link thought, quickly shaking off the thought. _Castle Town is home now._ Because if you repeat something enough times, it became true, right?

"Are there any open inns?" he heard Sir Hendrick ask a woman, who nearly dropped the pot she was carrying at the sight of them.

"D-down that way," she said quickly, pointing down the road. "It's owned by Mr. Garny."

Sir Hendrick nodded his thanks to the woman, signaling to the rest of the group to follow him in silence. The knights did just that, and Link moved to follow when he felt a hand on his shoulder, warmth seeping through the fabric.

Link whirled around quickly, only to see the same woman that had given them directions. "What are you doing with the knights?" she asked sternly. "Did you get yourself into trouble?"

Link didn't know how to respond. His tunic did bear the sign of the knights, but he supposed that was obscured beneath his cloak. "I…"

"Sir Link?" Sir Hendrick called from behind.

Link turned to his superior and quickly called, "I'll be right there, Sir."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the woman, causing him to turn his head back.

The woman had visibly paled. "You're a knight?" she whispered, her voice deathly quiet.

Link nodded a bit awkwardly. "I… need to rejoin the rest of the group. Sorry, Miss," he added quickly with a bow of his head.

He gave the woman no time to respond, instead quickly bounding to catch up with the others.

He had hoped people would assume he was a squire at least… but he supposed that it was rare that a squire accompanied knights on a mission. On occasion, it would be done for an undercover mission (with the knight and squire disguised as a father and son traveling), but this clearly wasn't an undercover mission. The only other time it was likely was to prove that the squire was worthy of knightship… but that squire would usually be at least five or six years older than Link was. Link was definitely an oddity.

Link decided that it was better to keep up with the others than to maintain a knightly posture, lest he fell behind and got confronted again. So he bounded after them, keeping his head down. The way that woman had reacted… maybe it would be better if the villagers thought he was some sort of thief the knights had plucked from the side of the road.

_Too late now,_ he thought. If he knew anything about small villages (and even he himself could admit he did), everyone would know about his title by the next sunrise.

The line of tall men in front of him stopped abruptly, and Link leaned around them to see what had stopped them.

It was a cozy looking inn, with its thatch roof and the cheery stream of smoke trailing from the brick chimney and into the sky. A large sign decorated the front, depicting a detailed carving of a crescent moon, with various embellishments and ornaments that, though completely unnecessary, being completely invisible from a distance, was quite aesthetically appealing.

Sir Hendrick turned around to face the soldiers of his unit. "I'm going in. You all can relax for a bit out here while I set up our accommodations."

"Yes, Sir," the unit replied in perfect unison. Link's own voice was easy to pick out from the rest, however - his voice being quiet, shaky, and young compared to that of his superiors.

_Can't do much about that,_ he thought. The cold was making his teeth chatter - a cloak could only do so much.

"Hey, kid," said a voice, followed by a tap on the shoulder from behind. Link jumped from the sudden action, quickly whirling around and falling into a defensive stance. _What's up with the shoulder tapping today?_

Sir Oren leapt back, waving his hands in a panicked motion. "Woah, calm down! Just wanted to talk, just wanted to talk!"

Link quickly moved into the formal, stiff stance of a soldier, but not before he felt his cheeks heat up (and he could tell - after all, just a few moments before they had been freezing).

Sir Oren rolled his eyes. "So formal, aren't ya?" Then he cleared his throat. "I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with the way you handled that lynel back there. You're pretty good with a bow, and if that's really not even your main weapon, I shiver to think of how you handle a sword."

"Th...Thank you, Sir," Link said a bit slowly. He was rarely complimented, so it was a nice change of pace, he supposed. _Not that I deserve it. I'm just a murderer._ But it was nice nonetheless.

"No need to be so formal," Sir Oren laughed. "We're practically the same rank, you know!"

"A habit of mine, Sir," Link explained a bit awkwardly. He had never been formal as a child - he had been loud and obnoxious, without the slightest bit of subtlety. Sheikah training, however, had mellowed him significantly. The Sheikah were nothing if not formal. His mother hadn't been fond of it… _no, stop, don't think about that._

"Well," Sir Oren said, "how about we start with first name terms?" The knight held out his hand. "I'm Alphonso Oren. My friends call me Al."

Link hesitantly grabbed the outstretched hand. "Link…" he hesitated. "Equitem. Call me whatever you like."

Alphonso shook his hand firmly, a grin plastered on his face. The way his brown eyes squinted from the smile, warm and kind, reminded Link of distant memories of his father. He wondered if Alphonso was a father - did he have a wife and children waiting for him at home?

"Anything?" Alphonso mused as he released Link's hand. "You wouldn't even mind if I called you something like 'pipsqueak?'"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "I… don't really care what people call me."

Alphonso laughed, slapping Link hard on the back. "You're an interesting one, kid! Most your age would act all high and mighty in a position like yours, but you're nothing like I expected. Makes me wonder why you're here in the first place - don't most think that knightship's all about honor and glory?"

Link shrank down. "I… some people see it like that. But being a knight is more about… helping people in need. Protecting those that need protection. There's no need for glory and honor when you're doing something like that."

Alphonso grinned. "Good answer. Sometimes there's little honor in being a knight. I'm surprised someone as young as you understands that." Link blinked in surprise.

"I-I didn't say anything about that," Link said, shrinking down even further. He _had _been thinking about that, though - there was little honor in bloodshed, as his mother and the Sheikah had taught him. _Is Alphonso a Sheikah? Does he know how to read minds?_

Alphonso's eyes softened. "No, you didn't," he replied. "But the eyes are a gateway to the soul - they say more than words can ever express, and yours say it all."

Alphonso paused, looking Link in the eye. Unlike before, the knight's eyes were cold and serious as they gazed into his own. _Gateway to the soul?_ Link resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably or look away. He wanted his eyes to portray strength - not the weak child that he really was.

"You have a lot of potential, kid," Alphonso said finally, straightening up with a grin and patting Link on the head. Link forced himself not to flinch at the contact. "I had my doubts at first, but now I can see why you would be knighted so young!"

"Th-thank you?" Link said, though it was more of a question than a statement.

Before Link could become any more uncomfortable and awkward, the door of the inn opened, revealing Sir Hendrick.

"Fortunately, they have four rooms open tonight," he informed the party, "but it seems that tomorrow they only have two. We might need to have a couple of us sleep on the floor tomorrow or something of the like."

"We'll figure it out when the time comes, Sir," Sir Zago said plainly. "For now, I do believe we have a Sheikah scientist waiting for us."

"That we do, Ross," Sir Hendrick agreed. "Best not to keep him waiting."

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**So... looks like you guys wanted the whole thing. SO IT'S COMING.**

**It's a rather simple second part, but... IT'S A PART, AND THAT'S PROGRESS! I think I've finally worked out the plot of the story, and it is now nothing like the original story that inspired it besides maybe one or two things. There are references though! Maybe you can figure it out (though I am not sure they're super obvious/if the anime that inspired it is actually known to you fellow Zelda fans)! I did make a super obvious reference in the latest chapter of Before... which someone happened to catch (congrats - I applaud them XD), so yeah.**

**ANYWAY, so far I think there'll be at least four parts, probably five. Maybe more. _Before (The Rewrite, of course)_ is my priority though, so the update schedule for this one is going to be more of a "when the next part is done" schedule than an "every week" schedule. So... yeah!**

**Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! You're all way too kind!~ :3**

**Sincerely (Maybe),**

**Ari~**


	3. Scientist

**Notaname: Yee, I'm on it!**

_**Part 3: Scientist**_

After Link's time knowing Purah and Robbie, he had thought he had known what Sheikah scientists were like. Eccentric, slightly insane, and of course, passionate about Sheikah technology. He wondered if this Doctor Yorin character was anything like them.

Link followed his superiors (_equals? Comrades? _He wasn't entirely sure anymore) up the hill, silent aside from the crunch of white powder beneath his feet. The snow was deep enough to obscure his companions' angles and, unfortunately for him, nearly reach Link's knees. Because of this, Link was forced to resort to utilizing the footprints left by the knights, jumping awkwardly from hole to hole.

The hill was slowly becoming steeper, and Link found that his shorter legs were having a harder and harder time of keeping up. But he kept going - it was starting to take more and more energy, but after years of running like the coward he was, his stamina had become nearly endless.

Finally, the slope began to even out, growing flatter and flatter until he stood behind the other knights at the top of the hill.

It wasn't exactly what he had expected, though he wasn't quite sure what _that_ had been, either. Perhaps he had anticipated more explosions - Purah's lab in Kakariko was rarely quiet, surrounded by scattered guardian parts and dangerous substances (he wouldn't have let them within fifty miles of Purah if she wasn't a genius - mad, yes, but a genius). Most of those materials, surprise surprise, were highly explosive. It had never been unusual to hear an explosion in the middle of the night or find an excited Purah covered in ash.

Unlike the messy chaos that was Purah's lab in Kakariko, what stood before them was what appeared to be a small mansion. It towered above their heads, looking two stories tall. It wasn't as intimidating as Link would've expected - the smoke flowing out of the chimney, combined with the warm brick colors of the house, made it seem almost as homey as the inn.

Suddenly, the door flew open. There was a flash of white…

...and Link was on the ground, crushed beneath something fluffy.

"Lomei, I told you not to do that!" cried a young voice.

"Llyra, I told you to hold onto the dog!" cried a not-so-young voice.

Link groaned, doing his best to crawl out from beneath the beast that was crushing his ribs. "Help…" he rasped. "Can't… breathe!" He wasn't entirely sure if anyone could hear him, or if his voice was muffled by the fur that threatened to suffocate him.

"Lomei! Come here!"

The large white beast stood up on his ribs, causing Link to groan as it bounced off of his chest.

As Link gasped in the wonderful, beautiful thing called air that he had severely underappreciated until this very moment, he managed to lift his head enough to clearly see the fluffy monster that had assaulted him.

It was a large thing, standing on four legs just as furry and white as the rest of it. If Link was standing up, it would have nearly reached his waist in height, maybe even higher. On its head were two floppy ears that bounced as it cheerfully leapt towards its master. A pink, slobbery tongue hung from its jaws, not obscured by the sharp white teeth that could have pierced bone. A big, shiny black nose that looked to be the size of his hand rested at the end of its long snout.

_A dog,_ he thought, groaning as he sat up. _What dog attacks someone like that?_

That was when he saw the two people on the doorstep of the manor. One was a man, clearly a Sheikah from his eyes, crimson as blood, and hair, as white as the snow on the ground. He looked to be in his mid-twenties age-wise, but his eyes were tired. They were that of an old, crippled man with hardly anything left to live for.

The other was a young girl, maybe seven or eight years of age. She, like the man, carried some Sheikah traits. Her hair was silvery and straight, and she wore the same casual Sheikah garb as the man. Her eyes, however, were the deep brown of rich soil, flecked with gold. _Hazel_, Link recalled. It was a rather rare eye color in Hyrule, more common in Labrynna or… nearly any other country, really.

"Hello," greeted Sir Hendrick as Link stood, shaking the snow off of his cloak and doing his best not to shiver. "Are you Doctor Yorin?"

The Sheikah man nodded with a small smile. "Yes, that's me. You must be the knights that the king sent to… investigate."

The man definitely sounded a bit nervous, but Link didn't blame him. Had a group of soldiers shown up on _his_ doorstep, whether he had been warned of them or not, he would have attacked them or run away and hid in a corner. He commended the scientist for his composure.

"Daddy," said the little girl, drawing five pairs of eyes to her, "the knights are here to stop the bad guys, right?"

"Yes, Llyra," Dr. Yorin replied reassuringly. He turned his attention back to the knights. "Why don't you come in? It's a bit cold out there."

Doctor Yorin held open the door, giving them a warm smile. The other knights were quick to enter, and Link didn't dare hesitate to follow. On the way in, he met the Sheikah scientist's eyes.

Their eyes only met for mere moments, but Link could see something dark and solemn was in those eyes - something Link had often seen in his own when he looked into the mirror. It was the glimmer of guilt, the dull shine of mourning and grief, the stress lines in his brow - he was suffering emotionally, but he carried the fire in his eyes of one who had the strength and resolve not to show it.

But as Alphonso had said a mere hour or so earlier - the eyes are a gateway to the soul. When one sees that same look in their own eyes, and really _knows_, truly _understands_ the feelings they are feeling… Link reasoned that it would be substantially easier to deduce such emotions in others.

Doctor Yorin led them all out of the entrance hall (a beautiful room with a smooth, polished pinewood staircase and three tall, arched exits branching off to the other rooms on the first floor) and into a room with a long table with a good dozen chairs.

The wall opposing them was not of wood - rather, it was made of pure glass. From the large window, one had a wonderful view of the snowy land of Tabantha - rolling white hills shown merrily in the sunset up until the point they became sharp, crooked mountain peaks. Large green pines dotted the knolls and mounds, slowly becoming smaller and smaller as they grew further away.

"A wonderful view you have here," commented Sir Hendrick, his face betraying naught but his voice betraying awe.

Doctor Yorin smiled bittersweetly. "Yes. I always did like looking out at the hills."

"You and mommy did that all the time, right?" came a voice from beside the Sheikah scientist.

Link had forgotten about the little girl. Her voice was soft, quiet - so very unlike the enthusiastic way she had greeted the knights. She stroked the fur of the furry dog that stood beside her. The beast had lowered its head, holding itself in a quiet, mournful way.

_I see,_ Link thought. _His wife must not be around anymore._ Link was no stranger to grief - and right now, the air was thick with it.

Doctor Yorin shook his head, returning to the quiet cheerfulness (if it could be called that) of earlier. "Let's sit down, shall we? I'll make us some tea in a moment, but first I'd like to ask you a few questions."

The knights obliged - Link sat in the seat nearest to him, only for the little girl to plop down beside him, her dog looking up at him innocently as it sat right in between their chairs.

"First question," Doctor Yorin said, drawing the attention of everyone at the table to him. Then all of a sudden, Doctor Yorin was gesturing towards Link. "Why is one so young accompanying you? He can't be older than eleven or twelve."

All eyes were on Link. He shifted a bit uncomfortably, looking down towards his lap.

"That would be Sir Link," Sir Oren jumped in. Seven pairs of eyes turned their attention to the older knight rather than Link. He would have to find a way to thank him later.

"He was knighted about a month ago," Sir Hendrick said. "He's a prodigy in combat - though he specializes in swords, he managed to take down a lynel on his own with nothing but a bow and a few arrows. All on horseback!"

Link blushed at the praise, shrinking further into his seat.

"_Link_, you say?" Doctor Yorin said thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to be the boy Purah was telling me about, would you?"

Link straightened in his seat. "You know Purah?" he asked. Though he knew that Sheikah scientists often corresponded with each other regarding their discoveries, Purah was one of the less sociable of them. She was one for isolation - most didn't like being around her or talking to her due to her eccentrics and fondness of explosives. She didn't care to try to talk to them.

"I was Purah's mentor for a time," Doctor Yorin explained. "Only for the last few years of her apprenticeship, but her mentor nonetheless. We still talk occasionally, and I recall her speaking of you."

Link felt a shiver down his spine. If he knew Purah… what did she tell him? What did he know? Purah was unpredictable - sometimes she would be a blabbermouth about things, not bothering to keep secretive. Others, she was a better secret keeper than a rock - not only being able to keep the secret, but also able to throw anyone curious about it off track with skills that any trouble maker had.

"Your Lydia's boy, right?" Doctor Yorin asked.

Link's eyes slid down into his lap. "...That's right, Sir."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Link looked up and saw a sad smile grace the Sheikah scientist's face. "Purah had nothing but good things to say about her, and that's saying something."

Link smiled slightly. _That sounds like something Purah would do._ She and his mother had been good friends. Purah had been almost as crushed as he had been when she had…

_No, no, no,_ Link thought, shaking off his thoughts, only to realize that there were people speaking.

"...a few can stay the night here if necessary," Doctor Yorin was saying. "We have more than enough room, I assure you."

"That would be wonderful," Sir Hendrick said gratefully. "We managed to book four rooms at the local inn for tonight, but tomorrow they only had two openings."

"Ah," Doctor Yorin said, nodding. "I believe the Tarins were having a family reunion of sorts this week. The last group must be arriving tomorrow."

"The Tarins, huh?" Sir Oren mused. "I think I knew them. Wasn't Gerimious Tarin a knight a few years back…?"

The conversation moved to people, and that was one of the subjects Link understood the least. Gossip, who'd been where, the like. So he allowed his mind to wander to faces of comfort and familiarity.

"_Link, what are you doing?"_

"_Training, Ma!"_

"_Impa put you up to this, didn't she?"_ A disapproving sigh, followed by a roll of the eyes. "_I know that Dame Rala says it's good for you, but to be training like this day and night… you could have died on that first test!"_

"_But I didn't! I'm fine! Nothing bad happened…"_

_..._

"_Ma? Ma? Mother, what's happening?!"_

"_Run, Link! Quickly! Get out of here before-"_

A crash from the room adjacent to the dining room jolted him from his stupor. He shook off images of desperation and terror, ignoring the ones that lingered in the back of his mind.

"Llyra, what's going on in there?" Yorin called, standing from his chair.

The little girl - _Llyra, _Link thought, noting the name - walked out of the kitchen sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. She was followed by her large white beast of a dog. Link didn't recall seeing them leave.

"Sorry, Papa," the girl said guiltily. "I tried to reach the flour and stuff… I wanted to make cookies!"

Yorin chuckled, leaning back into his chair and relaxing his shoulders. "I thought I made a sturdier pot this time. Did it break?"

Llyra shook her head. "No. It just hit the ground _really_ _hard_," she explained cheerily.

Yorin waved her off dismissively. "Don't worry about it, then! Go on and make those cookies!"

Llyra nodded excitedly before turning back into what Link assumed was the kitchen.

"Ah, to be young and curious," Yorin sighed. "Of course, I'm just old and curious now."

"Really?" said Sir Ross Zago asked. "You don't look a day over twenty."

Yorin fisted his hand and tapped his knuckles to his temple. "I may not be that old, but the mind ages differently than the body." Link saw the Sheikah scientist's eyes flit towards his own, before returning to that of the knights. "I'm a mere thirty years old, but mentally I may as well be sixty."

Alphonso nodded in understanding. Sir Hendrick's lips had curled upward into a bittersweet smile. Sir Zago's face was sorrowful and rueful.

Link did his best to keep his face blank, but on the inside, he could feel the words resonate with his very soul. How old would that make him, he wondered? _Too old, _the back of his mind supplied. _Old, old, old…_

"But no matter the age, a scientist always seeks the truth," Doctor Yorin said with a smile, changing the subject skillfully. "Runs in the family - my little Llyra is curious about everything!"

The Sheikah scientist and the knights chatted on and on, Link merely sitting back and observing. Maybe he'd once had that scientific mind that Yorin spoke of. When Link was younger, he remembered being so full of questions and curiosity. But…

"_You want to be a warrior, right?"_ Impa had asked sternly. "_A warrior does not reveal that they do not know something so quickly - to appear oblivious is to appear weak. Instead, you are to learn how to sit back and observe - find your questions through silent observation. Seek the answers in documents rather than in person. Never, _ever_, ask a person for answers besides myself unless absolutely necessary... or I give you permission to do so. Understood?"_

Then Impa had instructed him to spend the next week completely mute. It had been an incredibly eye opening exercise, that had indeed taught him the importance of gaining knowledge through observation.

Then came the captain… the strict man that refused to allow the squires anywhere near the library. The one time Link had tried to research something there (during the day anyway), he had been punished severely. It started then - all of his answers could only be retrieved through careful observation and secret excursions to the library.

But scientists… they were allowed to ask questions freely. They could seek out answers without a fear of seeming weak, or being starved for a week, or being beaten like a rug. They lived lives full of discovery and excitement… not of careful strategy, shadows, and blood.

Link couldn't help but wonder… would he have been happier if he'd gone down another path?

He shook his head, replying for himself. _Maybe I could've been, _he admitted, _but after the things I've seen… the things I've _done_... I don't think that I could choose a path that makes me seem like anything other than a murderer._

* * *

**If only my precious Link child could've become a Sheikah scientist... am I the only one that thinks he totally could've become one? A kid that's smart enough to best knights thrice his size at four years old is probably a freaking genius. I like to think that he's really clever, but no one realizes it because all they see him as is a human weapon (which is literally what the summary and the title of this here fic suggest).**

**I wanted to go more into Yorin's character, but believe it or not, the chapter got too long, reaching nearly nine pages at this point while the others were only seven each. And that's totally great! I'm impressed that I managed it, but I want to keep the chapter lengths consistent. If I continued here I don't doubt that I'd have over ten pages of stuff that doesn't contribute to the plot (because this chapter was mostly exposition - not a ton of Yiga stuff yet - I MEAN, I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, THERE'S NO BANANA NINJAS IN THIS STORY, I SWEAR). I might have to do a Scientist part II just to develop the plot a bit more and dive a bit further into Yorin's character. But maybe not. I don't know.**

**Fun Facts/References (because who doesn't like those?):**

**-The dog, Lomei (the name is actually a reference too, but I'll get into that later****), is probably (maybe only part, I don't know) a great pyrenees, also known as the pyrenean mountain dog. It was originally bred to protect flocks of sheep, goats, etc. in the mountains. According to the website I got this from (for some reason the doc manager won't let me write it)****, this breed's main goal in life is to "give, give, and give unconditional love." It's an intelligent breed, with high energy levels, playfulness, and tendencies to bark and howl. Due to its being breed for cold mountain environments, as well as its protective instincts, I found it a fitting pedigree/heritage for Lomei.**

**-Llyra's name - you may think I just came up with a weird spelling for originality, but HAH, FOOLED YOU, IT'S A REFERENCE. I think after my rambling on the great pyrenees, you probably don't want many more explanations. So I'll just give you a hint. Rearrange the letters of "Llyra" so that the name is spelled backwards. If you don't get the reference, then you probably aren't familiar with TLoZ: Wind Waker.**

**-The Tarins' family name is a reference to Link's Awakening. Not familiar? Tarin is this guy that lives in Mabe Village on Koholint Island (where Link's Awakening takes place). Tarin is basically Talon from Ocarina of Time.**** He even has a red-head daughter named Marin... see the similarities?**

**Other references will not be revealed at this time, due to possible spoilers for what happens at the end of the story. But just so you know, I DIDN'T STEAL EVERYTHING, I PROMISE. There's a lot of original names floating around (Yorin, Zago, Hendrick, etc), and a lot of liberties taken with Tabantha Village because in BoTW it's, you know, a ruin and all. I still haven't actually been there in BoTW... I should probably do that for a bit more accuracy and whatnot.**

**Thanks for sticking around, y'all!**

**Sincerely (I'm always sincere - just like how the sky is always bright orange! Wait...),**

**Ari~**


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